Chief Grey Bear

Really! You may want to get to catching some of those. That is only about a 1 pound shy of the world record. You could definitely get yourself a state record.

My son and I were down at Hickory Creek this late afternoon and I was enjoying him catch the dickens out of the trout as the creek received a new truck load the night before. I was really surprised the creek was not over run with those filling their freezers. Maybe they just weren't lucky enough to get a 4-day weekend like I was. So as I was sitting there, I noticed this older couple in a near foot race to their secret honey hole. By looking at the gear they were hauling, Wal-Mart rods, a 5-gallon bucket, fish basket, big ol' tackle box, I just had a hunch I was fixing to watch some good old time poaching going on. I must say they didn't let me down. I watched as he quickly added his 4th and finally trout to the basket. I thought to myself, ok now if he keeps adding to the basket, he may not know the limit or he plans on saying that both his and hers are in the basket and I'll walk over and kindly tell him of the regulations. The poor misses hasn't caught a fish yet. She has been playing heck with the snags and like a good husband, he helps her out. Numerous times he had to wade the stream to retrieve the lure. I thought for sure I would be witnessing bait fishing at its finest, but it appeared they were using rooster tails. Well, I witnessed him catch his 5th trout. This one though did not go into the basket. Quite by surprise he whipped out a rope stringer and strung him up. It was at this point I decided this person new exactly what he was doing and it was no mistake that he was taking, sorry, poaching, extra trout over and above his limit. It was also at this point I decided that yes, cell phones are a good thing and called my local MDC agent. I gave my location and he responded within 15 minutes. He stopped and talked to me for a second and then drove over to the offending couple. I witnessed the whole operation. After speaking with the couple and checking their license, the agent and the older gentleman walked back to the agents truck. After being in there for a few minutes, they both walked back down to the creek and a few words were exchanged and as the agent was walking back to his truck gave me a thumbs up. He drove back over to where I was and stated that not only did the man admit to catching all the fish that I saw, but to my great surprise, had lost another stringer full of trout that he caught. I may have cut into their firecracker fund this year, but yeah, I feel I did the right thing.

That will help a lot. I got to thinking after I hit the reply button, this is most likely a hatch and at this point there is really no telling what they might be without a clear pic. And being that small, camera phones won't cut it. Does Taney have much of a shad population or is the water too cold?

Flathead tails are square. Not round. Now going purely by the pics and nothing else I think we can say that it is defiantly not a Brook Silverside. The body of this creature is too bulky. Silversides are more like a small twig with fins. Ozark Minnow, by looking at the pic, could be a good choice. I also wonder about a Mosquitofish. But I can't compare the size by the pic. The Mosquitofish has a rounded tail, but the pic looks like that fish may have a forked tail. Now a Blackstripe and a Blackspotted Topminnow both have dark stripe and rounded tails. I don't believe the Blackstripe to be in a White River drainage though. Like Al stated we need better pics.

Glad ya'll liked it. I always enjoy reading Spencer's work.

I haven't had that in years. You wouldn't have some extra would ya?

I thought some here may like to read this. State’s trout program has storied history By SPENCER E. TURNER Special to the Tribune Published Monday, June 16, 2008 A fisheries biologist friend asked if I had any information about the origins of Missouri’s brown trout and rainbow trout. After being away from the fisheries field for more than 10 years, my first thought was I didn’t have any current information. After giving his request some thought, I provided what information I had, with the caveat that I was working from memory. Let me paraphrase what I told him and provide a short history of Missouri’s trout program. In modern history, Missouri’s streams never supported native trout species. Historically, however, ichthyologists - people who study fish - found char bones in a road cut near Missouri’s southern boarder. They dated the bones to about 13,000 years past, during the last ice age, when Missouri’s climate was much cooler and streams supported char - a salmonid related to modern brook trout and lake trout. The ice receded, Missouri streams warmed and the Ozarks Mountains gradually rose. Char gradually disappeared. The last refuges were major springs such as Mammoth Spring in Arkansas near where scientists discovered the bones. Skip forward 13,000 years. The only cold waters that could support trout are branches associated with major springs. Missouri’s modern trout program began with a shipment of rainbow trout eggs in 1880 from the McCloud River federal egg-taking station on the McCloud River in northern California. The eggs arrived at Missouri’s first fish hatchery in St. Joseph, where they hatched. The fry and fingerling trout were stocked in streams and spring branches along the railroad between St. Louis, Springfield and Joplin. Some streams we know about: Meramec River, Spring River near Vernon and Crane Creek near Crane. Others, like Spring Creek, Little Piney River and Mill Creek, also might have been stocked. In 1882, the Missouri Fish Commission reported Missouri rainbows spawning for the first time in Crane Creek and Spring River. Between 1880 and 1890, Missouri received several rainbow egg shipments before the St. Joseph hatchery shut down because of a declining water supply as the city grew. This first hatchery was replaced by a carp hatchery in Forest Park in St. Louis. Emphasis shifted from stocking a few trout every couple of years to producing carp and stocking them throughout the state. The Missouri Fish Commission hired a German fish culturist and brought him to Missouri to raise carp. Trout stocking and fishing took another large jump in 1890 when the Neosho Federal Fish Hatchery opened and began producing and stocking rainbows in Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas streams from broodstock provided from the St. Joseph hatchery. For the next few years, until the 1920s, most Missouri trout came from Neosho. They stocked primarily rainbows but also brown trout, lake trout, cutthroat trout and even Atlantic and Pacific salmon. Stocking was indiscriminate, with little consideration given to where or what streams or ponds were stocked. In looking through the archives of the Neosho hatchery, I realized if you knew someone at the hatchery, you could probably have trout stocked in your stream or lake. Maybe the most interesting story from the archives was of the "German Girl" and problems the hatchery manager faced. She was never named in the memoranda and letters but caused enough problems that the Kansas City Catholic bishop became involved, and the manager ultimately lost his job. However, that’s a story for another time. Missouri’s trout program took off in the 1920s and ’30s when the state acquired Bennett Springs, Roaring River and Montauk for state parks and hatcheries and Sequeota Hatchery in Springfield. They all were private hatcheries before the state purchased them. Most rainbow trout they produced were stocked in spring branches and streams near the hatcheries. The original broodstock for the three hatcheries came from Neosho and were what became the "Missouri Strain" rainbow trout, a hatchery trout strain now recognized nationally by fish culturists. Trout stocking in Missouri changed little between 1900 through 1937 when Missouri citizens passed a constitutional amendment establishing the Missouri Conservation Commission and Missouri Department of Conservation. MDC restricted rainbow stocking to the three state parks and a few cold-water spring branches open to public fishing. MDC added Maramec Springs, a private trout park, in the 1960s. Brown trout had a checkered history in Missouri’s trout program. The Neosho federal hatchery stocked brown trout first in 1892 in streams near Neosho. These fish came from Northville Federal Hatchery in Michigan, one of three hatcheries in the country to receive brown trout eggs from the Rhine River in Germany and Loch Leven in Scotland. As near as I could determine from the hatchery logs and Missouri Fish Commission reports, those early stockings were unsuccessful. The stocked browns didn’t live long or reproduce like the early rainbow stockings. Brown trout stocking was discontinued in the 1930s until the 1960s. Brown trout came back into Missouri’s trout program in 1967, when MDC received brown trout eggs from the federal hatchery in Decorah, Iowa. Those browns were the same strain as first stocked from Neosho. MDC hatched the eggs at Montauk Hatchery and stocked the small browns in the Current, North Fork of the White and Meramec rivers. Anglers caught a few large browns in both the Current River and North Fork of White River. Success was limited. Anglers caught only a few large browns. The eggs proved difficult to hatch. Fry and fingerlings experienced high hatchery mortality. Brood stock experienced a chronic disease. Once stocked, the small browns quickly disappeared - likely food for smallmouth bass and other predators. Those few survivors grew large. That’s when your humble reporter, at the time a young biologist, fresh out of graduate school, supporting a wife and three young hatchlings, received his first assignment: to evaluate the brown trout releases and what happened to them. Along with evaluating those first brown trout stockings, hatchery managers destroyed the Montauk brood stock. MDC began looking for a disease-free brown trout replacement. Finding disease-free browns proved difficult. Our search ended at a Utah hatchery on a tributary stream to Flaming Gorge Reservoir, Sheep Creek. The hatchery used wild browns, migrating each year from Flaming Gorge Reservoir to the hatchery as brood stock. We hatched the Flaming Gorge brown trout eggs at Shepherd of the Hills Hatchery in Branson and established a brood stock for future stockings. However, along the way something neat happened. Mature browns stocked in Lake Taneycomo from the wild Flaming Gorge strain, began migrating each fall upstream, back to the hatchery, not only creating one of the best brown trout fisheries in the nation, but also providing a source of brown trout eggs for the hatchery. It was a win-win for the angling public and Missouri’s hatchery system. These brown trout were wilder than the original browns from Michigan and Iowa hatcheries and were heavier for a given body length. They lived longer after stocking and grew larger than the first browns. We still had a problem with high egg mortality in the hatchery and understanding why Missouri browns didn’t spawn successfully in our spring branches. We learned that if they were protected from early harvest by anglers, they grew large and spawned, but unsuccessfully, in our spring branches. I discovered our spring branches flowing from the ground at 58 degrees were too warm during October and November when browns spawned. A blinding flash of the obvious: Shepherd of the Hills Hatchery had the capability to regulate water temperatures during brown trout egg incubation. Hatchery managers reduced water temperatures to less than 53 degrees. Egg survival increased to almost 100 percent. This allowed hatchery and fisheries managers to stock brown trout in many more trout streams in Missouri, establishing a trophy trout fishery. Although small, Missouri’s trout program is one of the oldest in the nation and one of the most respected. And you, the trout angler, has benefited from this program. Take time this year to visit and fish Missouri’s trout parks or special trout management streams. Enjoy one of the best-managed trout fisheries in the country. And, if you should encounter an old, rotund, fly-rod wielding, ex-fisheries biologist, tip your hat and fish on.

Well Trav, this may come as a shock but, I agree.

Personally I don't ever see the length limit being changed for Kentucky's. For the average fisherman, women, person, they look to much like a bucket mouth. I can just hear the hundreds of arguments every weekend "This a Spotted Bass not a Largemouth" As a side note, I don't mind catching them. To me they are a beautifully colored fish. Meaning they are more brightly colored than most of the largemouth's that I catch. They seem to have been getting along just fine for many, many moons now.

I hit Lost Creek this evening at Wela Park. I used a Rebel Crawdad and ended up with 2 largemouth, 2 brownies, 1 goggleye, and one black perch. The goggle eye and the black perch were in the 9-10 inch range. Very nice for this creek. The largemouth ranged from 3 to 12 inch. Yeah, just how was he gonna swallow that crawdad?? As for the brownies, nothing to write home about. Biggest was maybe 12 inches.

Yeah, I looked around myself and didn't find it.

Oh I believe Ollie. I am surprised that there are not more of these caught in there. Everytime Big Spring gets up, some of those monsters in there escape. I just haven't caught one yet. Also, don't worry about hijacking. If it is info, it needs to be posted. Patfish, I didn't look but, I doubt there is a link. It was just a pic with a caption. I'll see if I can find one though.

According to today's edition of the Neosho Daily News, James Austin 16, Neosho, caught a 23" 6lb trout in Hickory Creek. Pic inlcuded Can't be nothing like that in Hickory. Must have been brought up from Taney.

Well, here is how I look at it. In this world there are coachs who know what they are doing and put their butt on the line everytime. Sometimes a play doesn't work like it should. Then there are sportscasters who write/talk about it the next day and what should have been done. Which are you?

I thought they eliminated Jeff City as a crew change. Did they open it back?

No, I didn't go down. I was fixing to but as I was reeling one in at the bridge, a truck with a younger couple came by. They turned around and struck up a conversation. I gave him very little info, basically that yes there are some brownies and goggleyes there. Well, they pulled in and all got out. The mother with a very young child stayed near the up side of the bridge on the gravel bar. The father with a son about 6 or so fished the bridge for just a second they started down my way. I was at the first small brush pile down from the bridge. I stopped him and give him a few pointers on the area and a couple of places to hit. I only did this because he was trying to teach his son to creek fish and though lived in the area, did not know much about this creek. We had a pleasant conversation and I left the rest of the creek for the boy to learn. I hope that they had some good luck and the boy wants to do it again. Soon. Still a productive hole at the bridge but is really different from last year. Kinda runs like a chute now. I haven't seen the crowds this year like I have before. I was fishing there about a month ago and a county commissioner stopped by. Seems they are trying to buy about 5 acres there to make a parking lot and to put in some trash cans. I told him that great but would do no good if they don't patrol that area. I really would rather they leave it like it is. Don't need any extra competition. When do you feel like hitting it??

I'm not sure of what rattlesnake project you are speaking of. But being that the timber rattler is not an endangered species in this state they may have transplanted some that came from this state. But again I have never heard of that. Doesn't mean it didn't happen. Rest assured Missouri has never bartered, traded, released or any other thing with bears. I am sure that Mo does have a small population of resident bears. And surely some may have been always here. But I am also quite confident that some have also at one time been Ar bears. I would say the majority of them coming to Mo are juveniles staking out there own claim and some may be making there way back to the north where they originally came from. Much like a house cat that doesn't want to move. As far as I know, there has never been any talk of reintroducing Mt. Lions. Don't think there ever will be either. Not sure about herons for sure, but I don't believe their main diet to be game fish. Kind of a catch 22 for some as they do like to dine on snakes. Commorants is where we need to direct our attention. Herons don't bother me. I have read a few time that there is a small wild herd of Elk here somewhere in SWMO. I think they escaped some time back in the 80's. I don't know for sure if it is true or not.

Not a problem Lilley. Next time you get up this way, give me a shout and I'll show you a couple of spots that just may surprise you. Bring your fly rod and I'll put you on a piece of brownie heaven that will make you forget all about trout.

Not disputing the fact that they are native. Never said they wasn't. What I am saying the MDC or any other agency has never released bears or rattlesnakes within the borders of this state. And all other beings that were listed were aslo native. As for the otters, they were basically, if not completely, extinct from this state. To keep a more natural balance in nature and to reintroduce an animal that was eradicated possibly due to over harvest among other circumstances, the MDC brought them back. But as I said before, it was too successful. Many items contributed to that. One of those could be the amount of stocked ponds that now abound through out this state. Nothing more than a free picnic for them. An abundant food source will always increase the survival rates of any animal and increase birth rates. Case in point here. But to call them morons is not only disrespectful but somewhat juvenile for an agency that provides so much for everyone to enjoy. Think about that next time you slip across the line to hunt or fish. Just my opinion. You are under no pressure to agree.

OK now who is playing around with my post? I noticed that this post went missing from where I posted it, so I posted again. I should have added Creek to the post as I was not in Arkansas but Missouri. It is just a another one of those little known waterways with very little access that is just as wild as it ever was. I do appreciate who ever did move it. I know you thought you were doing the right thing.

Spent about an hour on Buffalo last Sunday and just had a ball. Nothing over 16 inch but then I never made it more than about 200 yards from the bridge. The water was just great. Gin clear and running just right. The floods this spring sure have changed it from last year, but I can't wait to hit it again. I wish I would have had more time but that is how it goes sometimes. Anybody up for a little wade fishing??

Oh man I love that creek. I haven't fished in a couple of years though. Used to hold some crappie just down from a bridge. Never could get more than about 3-4 at a time, but you could do it every time. If you haven't fished it before, be sure and do some scouting this summer when it gets dry out. This creek does a disapprearing act in a lot of places.

Spent about an hour on Buffalo last Sunday and just had a ball. Nothing over 16 inch but then I never made it more than about 200 yards from the bridge. The water was just great. Gin clear and running just right. The floods this spring sure have changed it from last year, but I can't wait to hit it again. I wish I would have had more time but that is how it goes sometimes. Anybody up for a little wade fishing??

Hey don't leave me out! Ollie, I have caught quite a few brownies and goggleyes in Hickory. Though not much in size for the most part. I did last year catch one Largemouth in the 2 lb range and Dylan, in the same hole, caught a brownie in the 1.5 lb range out of there. With all of the flooding this spring, I am not sure if they are still there or even if some moved up out of Shoal and now reside in Hickory.

Since it is a migratory bird, I don't believe OK can just start a season. The last I heard, the Fed's know of the problem and are working in conjunction with state agencies to develop some type corrective measure to combat the bird, which I think will be considered a nuisance, and thus a hunting season, or some type of eradication program will be instituted.